A Conversation About Roe v. Wade

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that has resulted in the overturning of the legal resolutions established in Roe v. Wade. In short, the Supreme Court has ruled that abortion is not a fundamental right established in the U.S. Constitution. With this ruling has come an explosion of outrage as well as joy, as people on either side of the issue express their emotions.

And so I decided to write this to you. Because whether you like it or not, you are being exposed to an incredible assortment of opinions and emotions about this issue, and if we do not take the time to sit down and talk about the Christian perspective on abortion, we will begin to believe what our culture is preaching.

But before we dive into this, I’d like to say that I recognize this isn’t easy, nor is it always fun. But I can tell you from firsthand experience that your social media and conversations with friends, even the music you listen to and the books you read are preaching the values of our culture. I’m not advocating for a legalistic response where we cut off all access to contrary opinions, but instead I’m asking that we would diligently pursue the gospel and explore how the gospel informs even our position on abortion.

So what is the Christian position?

Well sadly, it isn’t completely unified. There are a number of pro-choice Christians, particularly amongst liberal Christianity. However, the majority of protestant Christians land firmly in the pro-life camp. This is my position, and I believe it to be the only biblical position.

So for the next few paragraphs I’d like to walk through what Roe v. Wade being overturned does and doesn’t mean, present a biblical case for a pro-life position, and then address some of the main points raised by those in the pro-choice camp.

What This Means:

What is the result of the latest Supreme Court's decision on abortion? The primary result is that it is now up to each individual state to make their own laws around abortion. Some states will now start banning abortion, or even prosecuting doctors who practice it, while other states (including WA) will continue to offer abortion for free and are even able to reduce the previous limits on abortion.

What This Doesn’t Mean:

This decision doesn’t stop abortions nationwide, but only in states which create new (or enforce existing) laws prohibiting abortion. Likewise, this decision won’t effect other rights established by the 14th amendment (such as interracial marriage and same-sex marriage), as the document has an explicit provision stating, “The Court emphasizes that this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion. Pp. 63–66.”

Biblical Basis For Pro-Life:

The bible is very clear on God’s position on human life. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created humanity in His image. In Genesis 9:6 we learn that because we are made in God’s image, the penalty for taking human life is death. Likewise when God gives Moses the law in Exodus, we learn that murder, particularly of innocents, is contrary to God (see Exodus 20:13, 21:22-25, and 23:7).

More specifically to the issue of abortion, God clearly views a baby in the womb as having life and purpose. In Luke 1:15 we see that John the Baptist was called as a prophet of God, even while he was still in the womb. Indeed, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, together with Job, King David, and the Apostle Paul are all described as being formed and called by God before they were born (Isaiah 49:1, Jeremiah 1:5, Job 10:11-12, Psalm 139:13-16, Galatians 1:15).

Arguments and Answers:

The arguments of the pro-choice camp come in 2 distinct veins. There are some (though this is the minority) who argue that abortion is indeed a biblical concept. On the other hand, there are those who come at this issue from a purely secular standpoint, and disregard either side’s use of biblical sources. I’d like to propose some answers to both of these objections, starting with those who argue from the bible.

From the Bible (arguments from the Freedom From Religion Foundation as well as public interviews)

Argument: A pregnant woman who is injured and aborts the fetus warrants financial compensation only (to her husband), suggesting that the fetus is property, not a person (Exodus 21:22-25).

Answer: This statement is misleading. Exodus 21:22-25 says that if the woman and the baby are unharmed, then only financial compensation is required (as set by the husband, so you can be sure it would be very high). However, if harm befalls either the woman or her baby, the same injury is to be done to the perpetrator. So if the baby or woman dies, then the person who killed them must also die.

Argument: Because various passages (Deuteronomy 28:18, 2 Kings 15:16, 2 Kings 15:16, Isaiah 13:18, Jeremiah 44:7-8, Hosea 9:10-16, Hosea 13:16) describe God killing babies in utero, God doesn’t care about unborn life.

Answer: In every case listed, the death of unborn children is the result of God’s wrath upon sin. Had there not been sin (of a severe nature) these children would not have died. God does punish unrighteousness, sometimes using even a people as brutal as the Babylonians to do so. But at the same time God makes a promise that the evils of the Babylonians won’t go unpunished (Jeremiah 51:24). God’s justice for the death of the unborn (as well as the rest of Babylon's sins) resulted in the destruction of Babylon.

Argument: Jesus didn’t address the issue in his earthly ministry, but we learn in Galatians 5:1 that Christ has made us for freedom. This includes freedom of choice when it comes to our own bodies.

Answer: Though Jesus never expressly talked about abortion, the old testament law did clearly lay out God’s position on the issue. Jesus also says that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Jesus was clearly not for abortion.

As for Galatians 5:1, this passage is so often taken from its context. Paul is writing to a group of people who believe that they have to fulfill aspects of the law in order that they can be saved. Paul says instead, that Jesus died so that we don’t have to follow the law to be saved, but we are saved so that we are free to do what God commands us. There is no relevance to a choice involving the death of a child.

From Outside of the Bible

Argument: Making abortion illegal doesn’t reduce how many abortions occur, but it will make the procedure more dangerous.

Answer: The same researchers who stated that there was no appreciable difference in abortion rates in countries that ban abortions and those that don’t, also did a 2020 study focused on the U.S. in which they state that they “found evidence that a highly restrictive state legislative climate is associated with a lower abortion rate.” (U.S. study). They conclude that the global rates of abortion are skewed by unequal access to contraceptives.

As for the procedure being more dangerous - every abortion kills at least the child (that is to say, a 100% death rate for the child). Every pregnancy has less than 1% chance of complications resulting in death, or 9 deaths for every 100,000 pregnancies (From this article).

Argument: Reversing Roe v. Wade will lead to reversing previous government stances on same-sex marriage and interracial marriage.

Answer: The Supreme Court specifically countered this by stating, “The Court emphasizes that this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion. Pp. 63–66.” (Read the statement here).

Argument: The fetus isn’t a living person and therefore cannot have its own rights.

Answer: As Dr. Tara Lee, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin and training in cell and molecular biology from Harvard Medical School, said in an interview, “There is indisputable proof that life begins from the moment of conception when the sperm fertilizes the egg, because there is the creation of a new, totally distinct, integrated organism or a human being, which is going to be biologically distinct from all other life forms on this planet.” (interview here).

Argument: If you’re pro-life, you should care for the whole life (via universal healthcare, adoption, etc) not just the life in the womb.

Answer: This logic doesn't hold up. If I see someone who has been stabbed and I apply pressure to the wound and call 911, should I then be responsible for that person’s wellbeing for the rest of their life? When there is a clear threat to a person’s life, we are morally obligated to assist them, but that doesn’t mean that we must then guard that person for the duration of their life.

With that said, of Christians who attend church regularly, 45% did volunteer work and 65% gave to the poor in the last 7 days. In contrast, non-church attending Americans were at 27% and 41% respectively. (source) Likewise, 5% of practicing Christian in the U.S. have adopted children, as opposed to 2% of the non-Christian population. (source)

Though I’m sure there are many more variations of these arguments, these are the ones I thought needed responding to.

What Now?

This topic is such a hard one to discuss because of the intense emotions surrounding it. The grief, anger, fear, outrage, and disgust bubble up on both sides of the issue and are directed at their opponents. Sometimes this can lead us as Christians to act or react poorly.

My encouragement to you is to deal with each person you meet as Christ dealt with you. With grace and with mercy. A grace and mercy that feels compassion for hurt and for pain. That empathizes with suffering. That soothes aching loss.

A grace and mercy that prods. That points out sin, out of a desire to see repentance. That is not content with slavery to sin but pushes us towards Christ.

A grace and mercy that prays. That lifts up those who oppose Christ that their hearts may be softened. That prays earnestly for the wellbeing of innocent children who now may have a chance to come to Christ. That pray for healing for men and women who have made choices that they have come to regret.

Let us be a people who cry in humility, “have mercy on me a sinner!” Luke 18:9-14

Let us be people who stand firm in our convictions. Ephesians 6:10-20

Let us be people who have life in His name. John 20:31